Wolves killed their livestock, so Colorado wildlife officials cut these ranchers a check

State wildlife officials will pay nearly $350,000 to reimburse ranchers in Colorado’s high country who saw their livestock killed or harmed by wolves last year.  

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission voted to approve those claims recently. It’s a key part of the state’s program to reintroduce wolves. And it gets less attention than photos of newly released wolves turned loose by wildlife officials. It’s an acknowledgment that while voters support wolf reintroduction, actual wolves make life harder for ranchers. 

We wanted to look at these reimbursements, so we reached out to KUNC’s very own wolf reintroduction expert, Scott Franz. He has been covering the wolf reintroduction for KUNC since they were first released on Colorado’s Western Slope in December of 2023.

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Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner

Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions
In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

What is In The NOCO?

KUNC's In The NOCO is a daily look at the stories, news, people and issues important to you. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show explores the big stories of the day, bringing context and insight to issues that matter. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we explore the lighter side of news, highlighting what makes this state such an incredible place to live.